FESTIVAL PACKAGE 3 – CHEMREY ANGCHOK

Introduction:

Would you consider walking and dancing in a carnival parade at well above 10,000 ft., the perfect way to truly understand and embrace a culture of mystic? If yes then welcome Nomadier. The Chemrey Angchok Festival in Leh will do just exactly this for you.

Chemrey Angchok is a colourful celebration of the rich cultural diversity of Ladakh’s people. Two-day long festivities are held all over the region comprising music acts and theatre performances along with traditional mask and folk dances, with the final carnival parade passing through the streets of Leh. The dances of this annual festival are an experience not worth missing with dancers creatively portraying the victory of good over evil and also the lives and stories of Buddhist and Tibetan divinities. In 2011, Chemrey Angchok will take place on the 23rd and 24th of November.

The festival is centred on the Chemrey Monastery (3740 mts.) which is around 45 km away from Leh and situated in the picturesque valley leading to Changla. A large collection of scriptures with title pages in sterling silver and the text in gold letters is kept here. Also, close by is a cave that is believed to be the abode of Padma Sambhava during one of his periods of meditation.

Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival Leh
The flight to Leh, the capital city of Ladakh, takes you over the Greater Himalaya and makes an exciting landing at one of the highest airports in the world. One can hope to get excellent views of Stok Kangri as one flies-in and on a clear day the great peaks of the Karakoram are visible to the north. You would be met at the airport by a Nomadier representative and taken to your hotel. The remainder of the day is for you to rest. Leh is at an altitude of nearly 11,000 ft., and you can expect to feel the effects of the rarefied atmosphere. For the first few hours, you may experience a little breathlessness and perhaps a slight headache. These symptoms of altitude sickness are mild and usually disappear quite quickly; however, everyone is advised to take it easy for the first day at least. Press-ups and hill sprints are definitely taboo! Overnight stay at a hotel in Leh.

Day 02: Chemrey Angchok Inaugural Day
Be a part of the inaugural day of the annual monastic festival at Chemrey Angchok. Packed lunch will be served at the festival. Return to Leh for overnight stay in hotel.

Day 03: Chemrey Angchok Closing Day
Witness the closing day of Chemrey Angchok. Again, packed lunch will be served at the festival. Return to Leh for overnight stay in hotel.

Day 04: Indus Valley Monastery Tour

Leave in the morning after breakfast and drive to Thiksey Village, visit Thiksey Gompa and then drive to Shey Village to visit Shey Palace and Gompa. Post-visit continue driving to Hemis Gompa, one of the most famous monasteries of Ladakh. Overnight stay at a hotel in Leh.

Thiksey Gompa

The Thiksey Gompa belongs to the Yellow Hat (Gelupga) sect of Buddhism and is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This 12-storey complex houses a 49 feet high statue of Maitreya which itself covers two storeys of the building. 19 km away from Leh and spectacularly sited, Thiksey has several temples in the Gompa containing vivid imagery, multiple stupas and exquisite wall paintings of Buddha.

Shey Palace and Gompa

Situated on a hillock 15 km upstream from Leh, this was once the residence of the royal family and according to tradition; it was the seat of power in pre-Tibetan eras. A 7.5 meter high gold-plated copper statue of Buddha, the largest of its kind, can be seen here.

Hemis Gompa

40 km away from Leh, Hemis is the wealthiest, most known and biggest Gompa in Ladakh. Its popularity stems from a major annual festival held here in summers. This festival is celebrated in honor of Guru Padma Sambhava's birth anniversary. Hemis Gompa has among its wonders, the largest Thanka in Ladakh which is unfurled only once in every 12 years. The Gompa was built in 1630 AD during the reign of Singay Namgyal and flourished under the Namgyal Dynasty for the royalty favored the Drugpa sect which managed the monastery. It is divided into two sections, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple, known as Tshogkhang, on the left. The hall (Dukhang) is also used as the "Green Room" by dancers during the festival. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes among them the Buddhist 'Wheel of Life' (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters besides the prayer wheel.

Day 05: Excursion to Khardungla Pass

Leave in the morning after breakfast for the ultimate adventure of your life. A drive right up the highest motorable road in the world to Khardungla Pass (18,390 ft.). It is around 39 km away from Leh and has two checkpoints on both sides. Here, how much time one remains lost in the standstill beauty all around is hard to predict. Drive back to Leh and in the evening take a small roundtrip to Shanti Stupa for a beautiful view of the entire Leh Valley at sunset. Overnight stay at a hotel in Leh.

Shanti Stupa (Japanese Peace Pagoda)

The Shanti Stupa or Japanese Peace Pagoda was built by a Japanese religious organization led by Head Monk - Nakamura with help from the locals. It is beautifully situated on a hill top in Cahngspa Village and provides a bird's eye view of the entire Leh town and surrounding mountain peaks. With small clean rooms on the side for meditation and a main Japanese shrine at the entrance, its architecture bears the mark of Japan.

Day 06: Excursion to Pangong Lake

Leave in the morning after breakfast to Pangong Lake on the Indo-China border with the route taking you past the picturesque villages of Shey and Thiksey, and turning off the Indus valley by the side valley of Chemrey and Sakti. The Ladakh range is crossed through Chang-la Pass (18,000 ft.), which despite its great elevation is one of the easier passes, remaining open for much of the year, even in winter, apart from periods of acute snowfall. Drive back to Leh for overnight stay at a hotel.

The Pangong Lake

The Pangong Lake, situated at 14,000 ft. is a long narrow basin of inland drainage, nearly 6-7 km at its widest point. Visitors are permitted to only around 7 km along the southern shore from the head of the lake as part of Pangong lies in China. Standing there offers stunning views of the mountains of the Changchenmo range to the north, their reflection shimmering in the ever-changing blues and greens of the lake's brackish water. Also visible above Spangmik are the glacier and snow-capped peaks of the Pangong range.

Day 07: Departure to Airport

Nomadier provides assistance in your transfer to the Airport and wishes you goodbye.